1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a splitting blade changing device used in a machine for splitting molded blocks (hereinafter, referred to as a block splitter).
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 6 is a front view showing a main part of a block splitter which has long been used, where a holder plate 82 is horizontally fixed to a lower end of one set of hydraulic cylinder 81 which is attached to the upper part of a gate-like frame 80, and when activating the hydraulic cylinder 81, the holder plate 82 can be moved up and down along with a slide shaft 84.
One upper blade 86 is fixed to a lower end of the holder plate 82 by means of bolts 87. Further, a table 90 on which a molded block 88 is to be placed is horizontally fixed to the lower part of the gate-like frame 80, and one lower blade 92 extending horizontally facing the upper blade 86 is provided inside a slit 91 of the table 90.
The table 90 is mounted on buffer members 94 such as an air bag. The blade edge of the upper blade 86 which is descended by operating the hydraulic cylinder 81 is pressed against an upper surface of the block 88. When the upper blade 86 is further descended, the table 90 is elastically descended with a deflection of the buffer member 94, and a blade edge of the lower blade 92 installed inside the slit 91 protrudes from a face of the table 90 and is pressed against a bottom face of the block 88. Then the block 88 is split by the upper blade 86 and the lower blade 92 (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-141360A).
In such a block splitter, the upper blade 86 and the lower blade 92 need to be replaced appropriately in accordance with the shape, size and the like of the molded block, or with a desired surface shape of the resultant split blocks. In this case, since the upper blade 86 and the lower blade 92 are fixed respectively to the holder plate 82 and a seat plate 83 by means of the bolts 87 or the like, the upper blade 86 and the lower blade 92 are replaced with other upper blade and lower blade after removing the bolts and the like. It takes a substantial time even for a skilled engineer in such replacement of the splitting blades. Also nowadays, automation of a process from molding to finishing blocks by using an industrial robot has been progressing. Although the splitter needs to be stopped in order to change the splitting blades, the problem is that stopping the splitting process becomes a factor of lowering the production efficiency of the entire equipment.